This morning started out like every other morning, except that today was the long anticipated Promotion Day for the Maryvale Prep Kindergarten Class! That meant scurrying around and making extra sure buttons were buttoned and shirts were tucked and belts were found and zippers were zipped, with great excitement in the air.
I decided to stop at QT for a little special breakfast fun for everybody before school, and then got them through the drop off later than usual but still in good time for the beginning of the school day. I drove back home and it was about 7:45 when I got inside and sat down at my desk in the office beside Paul’s desk, where he was home working. I asked him when he thought he would leave, and he said around 10:15 or so… and I said, “I mean for Ruben’s 8:15 promotion?” (Because usually, with my difficulties and needing the wheelchair, he takes care of attending functions at the school.)
He said, “Nope, I can’t do that one, I’m already leaving at 10:15 to go pick up Xavier! You’ll have to do the promotion.” (Because, today is the day Xavier is transferring to a residential treatment center. Please keep praying for him!)
And that is how it happened that I had the joy of attending this milestone event for Ruben, with Jacob at my side as my assistant.
We arrived around ten after eight to find a lonnnnng line of cars stretching around the school and out the entrance onto Camelback Road, so it took a while even to get into the parking lot. When we finally got inside, there was a long line of parents and family members straggling around the courtyard fence waiting for the gate to be opened. As I parked in a handicapped spot and surveyed the crowd, I felt chagrined to see all the gift baskets and balloons and flower bouquets… Clearly, Kindergarten promotion is a bigger deal than I had realized. That’s what you get for homeschooling for 23 years… Oh wellsies, I figured, I’ll just get him a bag of candy later.
After the gate opened, the crowd went through pretty quickly and we were able to get right in at the tail end and find a seat for Jacob beside a handicapped spot for my chair, center of the back row on the floor. Perfect view!
And then commenced the program, consisting of speeches by each of the teachers and teacher-assistants for K-A (Ruben’s class) and K-B. Oh the tears and oh the emotions! These dear young ladies are so precious in how they care for their charges! It was very sweet, but not overly long, so I’d say it was just right. After each child was recognized for their particular accomplishments and additions to the class culture, the scholars sang their graduation song together (to the tune of “New York, New York!”), and they were officially promoted. All filed out to the courtyard for pictures and visiting, and then we said our farewells and headed home.
The rest of the day included picking Ellie up for a therapy appointment, getting lunch with her and Jacob, bringing them home, resting for an hour, then going and picking up the rest of the kids and finding out Ruben was feeling extremely poorly in tummy (and availed himself of a sick baggie on the way home). He did not want any of his Lifesaver candies at that particular time.
Back at home I tried to rest again for a little while, but was interrupted by Alyssa who has a science project due TOMORROW (of course) and needed supplies, so up I got and off we drove, with Ellie along to help. First we went to Walgreens (because I thought, surely Walgreens has what we need) only to find out how wrong I was. Very wrong. Next we went to Wal-Mart (because I thought, I just KNOW they have what we need because we’ve gotten it here before!) only to find out how wrong I was again. So wrong! Finally we went where we should have gone to begin with, Staples, which I was avoiding because everything there is more expensive. But at least it’s THERE! So by the time that was all finished and we were on the way home again it was well past 7pm.
Good grief.
Then I entered the house and found that Efrain had been vomiting explosively into the trash can, and that Jordan was feeling nearly equally sick, and that does not bode well for handing in projects and being in class for finals tomorrow.
Well, at least Alyssa finally finished her project, made a video of the explosion, and I have sent it to her teacher. Booyah!
I have also tried to assist Efrain in putting together a google slide presentation for his literature project, however, I have never used either power point or google slides, so I’m not sure how much use I am. We can only do what we can do and hope for the best.
And now at the end of the day, I’m not feeling so hot myself. I think I will head for the bed and pray for healing mercies upon us all.
